Faced with Darkness and Death
by Crystalmaiden62
Summary: A new school year, a new place. Utako Urehara was ready to being another school year, though being her second year after returning to Japan, she was still getting used to how things worked. But when arriving, something is clearly off and Utako is roped into a mission to end the Dark Hour... and meets a boy who may have been connected to her past. Shinji x OC at first. Ryoji x OC.
1. Prologue

Crystal: Okay, I know I promised to update I'm in Hell and my Kingdom Hearts series, but lately my life has gone off the deep end. Playing Persona 3 has become a major outlet and I'll be focusing on that for a bit until I can get life and time back in order. My life currently is nothing but a ball of stress so again, bare with me. I am sorry if my readers were expecting an I'm in Hell update but that will be for a while. I won't say anything more on the matter as my stress is rather personal right now. So anyway, to the disclaimers.

Disclaimers: I do not own Persona 3, Persona 3 FES, or Persona 3 Portable. I only own Utako and the OCs that are involved with her.

* * *

Prologue

Looking up at the being before us, it's hard for to believe that was once a part of me. If anything, it looks like a stranger. The towering figure looks slightly monstrous but the face I'm sure is behind that mask and the hair, even the voice... It's familiar to me. Or maybe I want to believe so. I can't see the eyes I fell for behind that mask and the voice sounded empty, lacking the happiness and sadness I had grown so used to. But I can't stop thinking who he once was and my heart pounds hard against my ribs, as if it wanted to reach out to him. I kissed those lips, laughed with him, made memories with the being before me in the last year. I had my choice a month ago and I don't regret it. I couldn't do what he asked me, it would've been too painful in more ways that one. I will never regret letting him live.

Over the course of this year, my reason for going keeps changing but I feel certain this time. I'm fighting for something I've grown to love. A home and friends I've made a special bond with in less than a year. I've seen them laugh, cry, get angry, everything. We've been through so much to let it all die now. Living with these people has changed me in more ways that I'm sure would make my parents proud.

I looked to my friends, seeing fear but confidence in them as they looked back at me. I think we've all changed in this year, and we're not going back to the way we once were. I smiled, looking at each one of them, my fear leaving me. I'm not fighting alone, I was never alone.

"Utako, you ready?"

"Come on, Leader! No chickening on us now!"

"You bet. No going back. Let's finish this, guys!" I shout out as the thing before me seemed to reach a hand to me.

"Come to me, Utako."

We're fighting for everyone's souls. Our future depends on our victory right now, if we don't do this, we will fall into oblivion. I'm not doing this just for myself anymore. That had stopped a long time ago. We will defeat Nyx or die trying.

* * *

Crystal: I'll be posting the first chapter in about an hour. See you guys soon.


	2. Chapter 1: Oddities of a New City

Crystal: Well, here's chapter 1… and may I say, when I saw the little kid in this part when playing the game…. I seriously wondered why a child was wearing prisoner like PJs and why no one else knew he was around. I mean, he kind of stands out. Anyway, to the disclaimers.

Disclaimers: I do not own Persona 3, Persona 3 FES, or Persona 3 Portable. I only own Utako.

* * *

Chapter 1: Oddities of a New City

I sat in the train car, listening to some English music to drown out the chattering crowd. Having spent a long time in America, I was used to some of the show tunes there (musicals being my favorite kind of music) and it was comforting to listen to. I mean, how can you not appreciate the Broadway production of The Lion King when they sing Circle of Life? I've never really stayed in one place permanently, not since my parents died when I was seven. The longest I've stayed in one place was three years, and then I moved to America for about six years before moving back to Japan. Spending a year in my home country is nice but… I don't miss the traffic in America. I _do_ miss the musicals I used to see every summer but that's something I can do here as well. But one downside is I'm supposed to be a senior right now but I'll be entering junior year at Gekkoukan High. Different countries, different education system. I had been riding on the train for a while but listening to music was just my way of dealing with it.

 _Lets see, I finished that…_ I think, looking at my MP3 player and started playing some Disney songs. I barely noticed the announcement saying the delay of arrival due to some technical problems or something. I'm going to stay at Iwatodai to attend a school at Tatsumi Port Island, paid for by my aunt and uncle. _Wonder how they're doing…_ I think, leaning back in my seat. The train car was practically empty now but that's just how I like it. Then again it is rather late in the night. Most people are probably at home sleeping. I'm just glad I'm transferring at the beginning of the school year rather than in the middle, that would be a big mess. I opened my pamphlet to see the address of the dorm I'll be staying in while my real dorm papers get settled with my relatives.

 _It's almost midnight…_ I think, looking at my watch. _I hope it's okay to walk around at night… I don't want to get mugged on my first night in a new place. Not to mention school is tomorrow. I should've come a day earlier…_ I looked up seeing it was my stop and quickly left the train car. I got out of the Iwatodai Station and looked down at my watch. It will be midnight in… I looked up noticing how dark it had suddenly got, the lights, the sounds of trains, the announcement stopped. It was like everything had died. Even my watch and MP3 player stopped working.

"What the?" I looked up and I noticed how large the moon looked. It had an eerie yellow look to it and seemed to be closer than ever before; kind of like that moon from that Legend of Zelda game a friend of mine liked back in America. "I… I need to get to the dorms." I say to myself in a small whisper as I walk down the directions I had made for myself to get to the dorm I'll be staying at. As I walked on, I noticed things that unsettled me more as I went on.

Coffins were lined up in random places around town. Some were on benches, others were standing up right in the middle of the road, it was really unsettling. Not only that but the water in puddles seemed to look horribly like blood. I didn't go near it so I can't really say if it was blood or not. Not only that, screams in the distance in the dead of night did not help my feelings as I feel my heart pounding against my ribs. I had one headphone in my ear and I wish my MP3 was working to drown out the screams, the sound of my heart, and calm me down. But no, my aunt always told me to be careful when we lived in America and it kind of stuck with me. I just needed music to calm me down, to feel some form of safety. It seemed like forever but I arrived at the dorm, quickly getting inside and closing the door behind me. I didn't realize I was holding my breath as I gave a sigh of relief as I lean against the heavy doors of the dorm. I was safe from whatever was out there.

"Welcome." I jumped, nearly falling to the ground at the sound of a voice. I looked and noticed a boy leaning over the front desk counter at me. He was smiling a bit but not in a mocking way as I pulled myself together.

"Um… hello. This is the Gekkoukan High School Dorm right?" I asked, but boy only smiled. I knew it was the dorm, the address was correct. I just wanted to make sure I was in the right place but I was still jumpy after walking through the empty streets with nothing but random screams in the night. The boy only smiled.

"You're late." The boy said, not bothering to answer my question. "I've been waiting a long time."

"You… you have?"

"Yes." The boy said, snapping his fingers and vanished, leaving only a small folder on the desk. Seeing him up close, I noticed he wore what looked like striped pajamas, or some kind of prison outfit. Odd for a boy to wear that, not to mention he looked about maybe nine or ten years old. "If you want to proceed, please sign here. It's a contract." The boy said, gesturing to the folder and it opened to a single page with only a small amount of words on it in bolded letters.

"Um…."

"There's no need to be scared." The boy said, calmly. You know when someone says that, it doesn't feel right at all. It actually makes you worry even more. "It only binds you to accept full responsibility for your actions."

"Oh, okay." I say, some places have me sign contracts since I'm a minor and I'm staying away from my relatives so I'm used to this. But when I saw the contract, it didn't seem like many others I had seen before. In fact, again, it was only one page with only one sentence.

 _I chooseth this fate of my own free will._

Below that, was a line for me to sign my name on. I looked to the boy, who seemed to almost expect me to sign it. I wasn't informed of signing anything else when I helped finished the paperwork to attend Gekkoukan High but it the contract seems simple enough. Nothing else was on the paper so it should be all right. On the line, I signed my name both in Japanese and in English: _Utako Urehara_.

"Very well." The boy said, as I gave him the folder. "Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing won't make it go away. Escaping from reality is impossible, no matter how many times you cover your eyes and ears. And so… it begins."

"What begins?" I ask but the boy vanished before my eyes. For a moment, it felt like nothing had happened. It was like the boy and that contract had never existed. They had appeared so suddenly that it could've all been just a dream. Maybe it was….

"Who's there?!" I looked towards the stairs and saw a girl dressed in a pink school uniform standing there. She had something strapped to her leg that I could swear was a gun. But she looked more shocked at seeing me standing there than anything else. "How can you be… but its? Don't tell me…"

"Huh?" Was all I could really say and I was shocked to see her pulling that something from her leg. It was a gun. "Now hold on! I'm not a burglar! I'm a student!" I shouted, raising my hands in surrender. Just what I needed, freaky city, weird little boys, and some girl with a gun. This is not my night.

"Wait!" The girl stopped as another girl, maybe a year older than me came down the stairs. It was hard to miss her with her flaming red hair and authoritative voice. Just then the lights turned back on and the sounds of the _Beauty and the Beast_ soundtrack played gently from my loose headphones. The girl with red hair smiled at me, as if the other girl had not tried to pull a gun on me. "I didn't expect you to arrive so late."

"Y… yeah. There were some problems with the train ride here that delayed my arrival." I said, a little confused. What just happened?

"I see, it must have happened recently." I nodded and the girl looked at me with a polite look. "My name is Mitsuru Kirijo. I'm one of the students who lives in this dorm."

"Oh, pleased to meet you." I say, smiling a little. I heard that Gekkoukan was made by the Kirijo group, guess she's related to them then.

"Who's she?" The girl in pink asked.

"She's a transfer student, it was a last minute decision to assign her here." Mitsuru said, looking to her companion. "She'll eventually be moved to a room at the normal dorm." The girl in pink leaned in to whisper something to Mitsuru and I raised an eyebrow. What exactly is going on here? Mitsuru smiled before looking back at me. "This is Yukari Takeba. She'll be a junior in the spring, just like you."

"H… hi. I'm Yukari."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Utako Urehara." I say politely. Though she looked just as uncertain as I am. Then again she did just point a gun at me a few minutes ago. Maybe she realized I wasn't a threat and got a little embarrassed by it. I just don't want to make a scene just yet since Yukari has a gun and all.

"Anyway, you must be tired. Takeba, why don't you show Urehara to her room."

"Oh, yeah! Sure." Yukari said, giving a small smile. "Come on, it's upstairs on the third floor."

"Your things should already be there. I suggest you tuck in for the night." Mitsuru suggested and I nodded.

"Good night, Kirijo-senpai." I say as I followed Yukari up the stairs. The place looked nice but rather empty, or many people were sleeping right now. It is… midnight? No, it's one at night. It has to be. My watch stopped working during that blackout so that must be why it says it's midnight.

"Here we are." Yukari said, snapping me back to reality and I noticed we had gotten to the third floor and to the very last door at the end of the hall. "This is it. Pretty easy to remember, right? Since it's the last door at the end of the hall."

"Yeah, thanks Yukari." I say, yawning a little. It wasn't like I was being rude or anything. I just realized how tired I was. It's late and after that scare earlier, I think my body is ready to just give out. "So, any questions?"

"Yeah, does that boy live in this dorm?" I asked, thinking about the boy from earlier.

"What are you talking about?" Yukari asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Before you came down, there was a little boy behind the counter who asked me to sign a contract. I was wondering if he's an elementary student living at this dorm." I said but Yukari didn't seem to know what I was talking about.

"C'mon, it's not funny."

"I'm being serious though." I say, but maybe it was all just in my head. Does that mean I'm going insane?

"Anyway… um… can I ask you something?" Yukari asked and I nodded, a hand on the doorknob. "On your way here from the station, was everything okay?"

"Y… yeah." I say, not telling her about the black out, the coffins, the blood, and everything else that happened on my way here. Maybe I am going insane.

"Oh. Well, I'd better get going." Yukari made to go to her room but turned back to look at me. "Um… I'm sure you have other questions, but lets save those for later, okay?"

"Sure. Night, Yukari."  
"Good night!" I didn't expect her to walk pass her room and go back down stairs but I walked into my room. It was simple and the boxes with my things were on the floor or on my desk. _Looks like I'll have to unpack tomorrow. I'll probably get some other stuff from the market as well_. I think as I noticed the new school uniforms I'll be wearing tomorrow. Black with a bit of red on it… not bad at all. For a moment, I thought I had to wear that pink cardigan like Yukari. Not that I mind, I like pink it's just too much is a little garish to me. Right now though I need sleep. Pulling out a pair of purple flannel pajamas from a box, I curled into bed and fell asleep almost instantly. Tomorrow will be a better day, without the creepiness… I hope.

* * *

Crystal: Hope you guys liked Chapter 1. Chapter 2 will hopefully be up soon. This is a different kind of fanfiction as I may also do social links… or at least the ones that help the plot move along... also… There's a character in this game that I wish got more love… and I will be working my views into that as well. Anyway, until next time!


	3. Chapter 2: Being the New Kid Again

Crystal: Here's the second chapter. Really, I will admit, I feel bad for Utako and I will be going further into her past since there wasn't much with the protagonist except the death of the family. I'm going to enjoy this but anyway, to the disclaimers.

Disclaimers: I do not own Persona 3, Persona 3 FES, and Persona 3 Portable. I only own Utako.

* * *

Chapter 2: Being the New Kid… Again

The next morning felt like any ordinary day… except for when I nearly tripped over one of the boxes on the floor when I went to the sink to wash up. Having only maybe five hours of sleep does not help my mood but I have to at least try to be friendly today. I don't want to put a bad impression on anyone. I did one thing I was used to though. I took out my laptop and messaged on FaceBook to my friends back in America.

 _Starting my first day of school at Gekkoukan High. Wish me luck. I will talk to you all when I get back. Miss you guys still. Hope you're all well._

 _~Love_

 _Utako_

I smiled, looking at a framed picture of my friends back in America. It was taken at Disneyland during a summer trip A year before I left to return to Japan. I remember how we had to save money for a whole year just to get a room and tickets for Disneyland and California Adventure; none of us wanted to have our parents or relatives drive us home so late. The picture was of me, Shilo, Annette, Johnny, Madeline, Robby, and Timothy sitting on the Mad Hatter Tea Cup ride. Timmy looked ready to puke, Shilo, Johnny, and I were laughing really hard, and Annette had to close her eyes just to keep herself from throwing up. Poor Robby actually did throw up outside of the tea cups back then and after that he refused to ever go on a spinning ride with any of us but he would joke about it years later. _I miss you guys. I hope you're all doing well._ I think as I stand up and start getting ready for school. I had just finished everything when I heard a knock on my door.

"Hey, it's Yukari."

"Come in, the doors' unlocked." I say, putting away my hair brush. Yukari came in, wearing the exact same outfit as the night before. I wonder if she even went to sleep. She must've, she looked rested or maybe she had some really good coffee.

"Good morning. Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, I was so tired last night I went to sleep right away." I say, weaving between the boxes. "I'll need to stop by the store before heading home though. I need some snacks for the fridge." Yukari chuckled and I couldn't help but feel a slight normalcy with her. More than last night anyway.

"Sounds like you're really settling in."

"Not much, I know this place isn't permanent. But I can't keep tripping over these boxes." I point out, grabbing my school bag.

"Anyway, Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you to school." Yukari said, as we exited my room as I locked the door behind us.

"Okay, thanks." I say, smiling. Today my new school starts. I'm still getting used to the idea of school starting in the middle of spring rather than the beginning of fall like in America. After living in there for six years and all, you tend to get used to the habits. Yukari took me through the Iwatodai stripmall and to the train station that would take us to school. It feels so weird. I've never had to use a train to get to my school before, not even when I moved back to Japan last year.

"We have to board the monorail to get there. Bet your last school wasn't like that, huh?" Yukari said, and I nodded.

"Yeah, and the car is so clean too." I say, looking around. Oh the differences of Japan and America.

"This is my favorite part… when it feels like you're gliding over the sea." I looked out the window to see the ocean glinting in the morning sunlight. "Out stop is Port Island Station at the end of the line. From there, we walk."

"Okay." I say, going back to looking out the window. It really is a nice view.

"Have you heard of Tatsumi Port Island? Its a man-made island. They build our school right in the middle." Yukari said, looking out the window as well. "Oh, look, you can see it now!" I looked and stared in shock. I think I can see the school, is it really that big? I took out my phone to take a picture of it. I'll send it to my friends when I get home from school.

Together, we walked to the school and I nearly lost my voice. It was so big and the entrance was lined in cherry blossom trees. _This is just like in the anime!_ I think, taking another picture. I'll post these before class. I'm so excited! I'm sure my friends will love it!

"Welcome to Gekkoukan High. You're gonna love it here."

"I already am."

We entered the entrance with the shoe lockers and I noticed a few boys looking at us. Did we stand out? Then again, with Yukari's cardigan sticking out in a sea of black I would not be surprised. I found my shoe locker and switch to my indoor shoes quickly, I'm at least used to the idea of changing shoes. That's the one thing my aunt and uncle kept when we moved to America since the house was previously owned by a very traditional Asian family.

"You're okay from here, right?"

"Hm?" I turned to Yukari, who was already out of the shoe locker area.

"You should go see your home room teacher first. The Faculty Office is right there on the left."

"Oh, okay. I'll go there once I check on my home room." I say, giving Yukari one last smile. "I'll see you later. Have a good day!"

"You too. Oh and Utako…. can you not tell anyone about what happened last night?" Yukari asked, looking a little nervous.

"Sure." I say, mostly because I doubt anyone would even believe me. I mean, coffins in the street and Yukari carrying a gun? Like they'd believe a word I say.

"Oh well, thanks! I'll see you later then!" Yukari waved and walked off to a group of other girls. I finally let down my smile as I took my bag and went to the bulletin board. Starting off as the new kid is kind of nice since you start off with a clean slate but… because you don't know anyone, it's kind of hard to really push forward. I take out my phone, looking at pictures from my friends back in America. I was planning to message them when I get home… I'm sure they'd like to hear what my school is like. I check the new homeroom class, Class 2-F, before heading over to the office. A few people didn't even seem to notice me while others stared. Well, seeing an unfamiliar face would turn a few head. Then again, there were some strange people around me as well. A blonde boy with a fan was talking to a teacher who wore a samurai helmet. _Do they even allow that? It seems rather distracting…_ I think as I open the door to the Faculty Office. Inside was a woman, who was obviously a teacher from the way she dressed.

"Oh, are you the new student?" She asked, as I closed the door behind me.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Hm… Utako Urehara. Eleventh grade, correct?" I nodded as she looked through my paperwork. "Wow, you've lived in a lot of different places. Stayed in America for a few years, too. Let's see… in 1999… that was ten years ago… your parents… oh." I flinched as she gasped at reading my paperwork. "I'm sorry… I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read this beforehand."

"It's alright." I say, calmly. Truth be told, I barely remember how my parents died. I know it was in a car crash but the doctors said I had sustained some head injuries so I really remember much of anything. I probably bumped my head and passed out but I do remember fire and crying for my mother and father… and gun shots but I don't get why I think of gunshots when I think of my parent's accident.

"I'm Ms. Toriumi. I teach Composition. Welcome to our school."

"Thank you, it's a pleasure to meet you too." I say, politely as I gave a small bow.

"My, aren't you polite? Girls like you should be an example for others." I smiled at Ms. Toriumi's comment. Being polite is the first step in getting recognition as well as having a better student teacher relationship. Act like an ass to teacher and you'll have a very miserable year. I learned this back in middle school in America. One of the teachers was rumored to be really hard and mean but after sitting in front of her desk, doing homework everyday, and being a good student, I became one of her best students. She even came to me asking if I was okay when I wasn't showing my work in my homework that month. _Being a teacher's pet can get you far_. I think, still smiling.

"Have you seen your classroom assignments? You're in 2-F, that's my class." I nodded, remembering the board from earlier. "But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon."

"Okay."

"Please follow me." I followed my teacher towards the Auditorium. Taking my seat, I sat through the speech of the principle. His monotone and his way of stopping every now and then really made me tired. I was so tempted to take out my phone and message my American friends (they're most likely up and finished with class by now) when I heard people talking.

"Hey, I heard we have a new transfer student."

"Yeah, and I've seen her too. She came to school with Yukari." I heard a few boys talking among themselves and I lowered my head. Yep, already awkward. Also, what does making me walk with Yukari mean? It's not like she's evil or anything. She seems pretty normal. The students were caught and told to stop it by one other teacher and Ms. Toriumi, which relieved me. Afterward, we went to class and I was introduced with much whispering. When the school day finally ended, I was so relieved. If anything, today had been nothing but a big pain. With people talking about myself and Yukari, it made it seem like we were secret lovers or something.

 _I need a cup of tea when I get back to the dorm._ I thought, sighing as I packed up my things.

"'Sup, dude?!" I turned to see a boy in a baseball cap walking over to me. I was surprised to see him since most schools don't allow hats unless for special medical reasons. He chuckled seeing my shocked face. "You look like a deer in headlights."

"Um… who are you?" I asked, a bit annoyed at his comment.

"Me? I'm Junpei Iori. Nice to meet ya." He said, looking rather relaxed. "I transferred here when I was in eighth grade. I know how tough it is to be the new kid. So I thought I'd check up on you, make sure you weren't freaking out on your first day."

"Oh, well, thank you." I say, smiling a little.

"At it again, huh?" I turned to see Yukari walking over, hands on her hips and frowning at Junpei. "Honestly, is there any girl you wouldn't hit on?" He was hitting on me? It didn't seem like it… "Did you ever think you might be bothering someone?"

"What? But, I was just bein' friendly."

"If you say so…" Yukari said but it didn't look like she believed him.

"Junpei-kun is right. He didn't do anything but introduce himself." I say and Junpei grinned.

"See? Utako's got my back." Yukari rolled her eyes before looking to me with a smile.

"Anyway, some coincidence that we'd be in the same homeroom."

"Yeah, I'm glad to know at least one friend in this class."

"A friend? Oh you mean me." Yukari said and looked a little embarrassed by this. "Yeah, I…. I'm glad we ended up in the same class, too."

"Um, hello? Did you forget I'm in this class too?" Junpei groaned, looking at us. "C'mon, lemme in on the fun." I chuckled, at Junpei. He's kind of funny. "By the way, do you guys know each other. I heard you two came to school together this morning."

"We live in the same dorm for now. Until things get settled on my end." I answered as Junpei grinned, his eyes closed.

"A couple of cuties like you, walking side by side… the whole class was buzzing about you." Okay, that was a little weird to say. Dock one happy point for Junpei.  
"Ugh… could you just cut it out? I hate dealing with rumors like that." Yukari sighed, looking rather annoyed now. "I mean, I'm used to it but she just got here, you know? Don't you feel bad spreading rumors like that?"

"It's okay." I say, standing up. "I need to head home now. I need to stop by the store to get some stuff before I head back to the dorm and I don't want to get stuck after dark."

"Oh, well… okay. I'll see you later." Yukari said, smiling a tiny bit. "I've got some archery team stuff to do. See you at the dorm."

"Yeah, and Junpei, thanks." I say, waving to him. "I'll come to you if I need anything."

"Cool! See you later!" Yep, Junpei seems like a nice guy. I don't think he was meaning anything other than friendly when he came to see me. _Looks like I'm heading off to a good start in this school._ I think, smiling as I walk towards the exit of the school.

Stopping by a small store on the way back, I bought some tea bags, a bag of chips, and a bento box for dinner before returning to the dorm. No point in getting a large amount of things now. Not when I'll be moving to a new dorm in probably a week. Arriving at the dorm, only Mitsuru was there to greet me and told me on how there was a curfew so I couldn't go out after sundown. That was fine with me. I didn't want to go out after last night. I still don't get what happened last night. The lights going out, the darkness, the coffins, and that boy…

 _Maybe it really was all just some weird dream caused from exhaustion._ I thought and began moving my boxes so that I wouldn't trip over them. Tonight, is me night. I'll go to bed at ten o'clock, and have another normal day.

* * *

Crystal: That was fun. Anyway, I hope to post Chapter 3 soon. See you guys soon!


End file.
